Times The Pokemon Games Reference The Anime

The Pokemon franchise is one of the biggest entertainment properties in the world. Although the property started with the release of Pokemon Red and Blue for the Game Boy in 1996, the franchise has gone on to include toys, a manga series, clothing, movies, and anime.

The anime began in 1997 and is still ongoing, featuring almost everything new that the games include. However, sometimes this relationship works the other way around. Just because the Pokemon video games came out first doesn't mean that they have not included references or been inspired by the Pokemon anime throughout the years.

7 Pokemon Stadium

Brock And Giovanni Have A Vulpix And Persian

One of the tropes that the Pokemon games set up early on is that every gym leader would only use one type of Pokemon. This is a great way to feature boss fights in the game, but it can be quite limiting when adding these characters, and their teams, to the anime. When the anime started, Brock was exclusively a rock-type trainer, and the villain in the show was also the leader of the ground-type gym. However, both characters pick up Pokemon of other types on their journey.

Brock is seen using a fire-type, Vulpix, and Giovanni's main Pokemon is a Persian. To honor this, the first Pokemon Stadium game gave these gym leaders those Pokemon on their teams for their respective gym battles. It doesn't make sense to those who do not watch the anime, but it is a nice nod to those who did.

6 Pokemon: Sword And Shield

Kangaskan Carrying Human Children Is Referenced

In each new Pokemon game, every Pokemon gets a brand-new entry in the Pokédex. This happens even if the Pokemon has appeared in a previous game. Each Pokédex entry is a brief description of the creature, detailing its habits and how it behaves in the wild.

However, Kangaskan's Pokédex entry in Pokemon: Sword and Shield is a little strange and does not line up with what players know about the Pokemon. It states that Kangaskan has even adopted a human child once and treated it like its own. This is a reference to the episode of the Pokemon anime, "The Kangaskan Kid," where Ash and the gang encounter a small boy being raised by a Kangaskan.

5 Pokemon Yellow

Brock Is A Breeder

In the first Red and Blue games, Brock is presented as a tough, no-nonsense opponent. He is a hardened man who uses rock-type Pokemon as they match his tough exterior. That is why some fans might be taken aback when the gym leader mentions that he wants to become a breeder in the subsequent Pokemon Yellow.

The third video game from Generation 1 is loosely based on events from the Pokemon anime. The show softened up Brock as he became a main character, and his life's dream was changed to match the series by having Brock strive to become a Pokemon breeder. That is why Brock's disposition changed in Pokemon Yellow.

4 Pokemon Snap

Jigglypuff Has A Permanent Marker

Jigglypuff was one of the standout characters in the first season of the Pokemon anime. This Pokemon would follow the group around and sing to them at the most inopportune times. When the gang fell asleep to the song, Jigglypuff would then angrily draw on their faces with a marker pen.

While it is normal for some Pokemon to carry everyday items, Jigglypuff is not one of these Pokemon. However, it does show up in Pokemon Snap with a marker pen as a nod to its anime counterpart. It will even use the marker as a microphone when singing.

3 Pokemon Crystal

The GS Ball Used In The Anime Made It Into The Game

When the first season of the Pokemon anime came to a close, there wasn't a second generation of games out yet to steer the next part of the journey. Therefore, the writers came up with the idea of the GS Ball as a story maguffin that the characters had to investigate in another part of the world. The origins of the ball were never discovered, and the show quickly moved on to Johto when the next games were released.

While the show seemed to forget about the GS Ball, the game developers did not. The strange Pokéball does show up in Pokemon Crystal as a key item that can be used to obtain the mythical Pokemon, Celebi.

2 Pokemon: Ultra Sun And Ultra Moon

The Event Pikachu Has Ash's Hat

One of the most recognizable elements of the Pokemon anime is the hat worn by the show's main protagonist, Ash. It changes throughout the series, but he always has a broad-brimmed baseball cap. Most fans also associate the franchise's mascot, Pikachu, with the character of Ash as well. The Pokemon company has been able to use this relationship for marketing purposes, but it has never been done as well as when Pokemon: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were released.

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Anyone who owned a copy of these games could receive a special event Pikachu wearing one of Ash's signature hats. All they had to do was scan a QR code, and players could add some iconic imagery from the Pokemon anime to their team.

1 Jessie And James

The Anime Villains Always Show Up Somewhere

When the first games were released, Team Rocket were conceived as an evil team for the player to battle. Their goal was to steal powerful Pokemon from other trainers, and there were dozens of goons to fight in the game. However, the anime needed to make this evil organization more personal to the show's protagonist. As such, the evil team is reduced to the bumbling Jessie, James, and the talking Meowth, who show up every episode to steal Ash's Pikachu.

These characters are not powerful and are supposed to be easy to defeat. However, it is always fun to see them pop up for a battle in games like Pokemon Yellow and Let's Go. They will even have teams of Pokemon accurate to the TV show, with a Meowth always being part of their roster.

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